Election Board Gears Up for May

The Breathitt County Election Board met in special session on Friday, March 20, to approve the appointment of precinct officers for the Spring 2026 primary.

With all members present, the board approved an amended list of officers to cover the ten voting centers approved for local voters.

Lists of potential names were submitted by board members and later amended.

The special meeting was called after the board failed to meet quorum requirements at a March 18 meeting due to two members' absence.

Representatives from the East Kentucky Vote, L.L.C. in Johnson County, worked on March 18 to program all of the machines and spares for the May election.

The original plan was for the members of the board to view and test the equipment before it is sealed and locked away for the election. 

Due to a lack of quorum, the company will return, at the county’s expense, on Friday, March 27, to test the equipment.

The 2026 election marks the tenth year that Breathitt County has used the East Kentucky Vote company to conduct elections electronically.

Five company technicians worked until early afternoon to set up and program the 32 county-owned machines for the election.

“We do this in several counties,” Lonnie Belcher told several people who gathered to watch the process.  “We have it down.”

The team programmed and tested the voting machine and the digital counters that accept the printed ballot slips.

Due to a lack of quorum, the machines were secured and packed away until the March 27 meeting, during which members of the election board can test and experiment with them.  After the board is satisfied, the machines will be placed under lock and key until distributed to the voting centers on the day of the election.

“We zero everything out after we have tested them,” Ken Amburgey from East Kentucky Vote said.  “With the board present, we take everything back to zero and get it set for the election on May 19.”

Voting begins soon as the absentee portal opens on April 4, and in-person, excused voting kicks off on May 6.